"I should... still be able to find some fresh ones." David's gaze skimmed the page, pausing at the section on the plant's growth cycle.
"The flowering season is nearly over, but we buy a batch of dried stock around this time every year. There should be some in storage that we haven't gotten around to processing."
The two went to the clinic's dispensary and picked out the plant called Purplebell from among a pile of dirt-covered herbs.
Its flowers made it stand out among the medicinal plants, so it was easy to find. Besides the purple-flowered variety in the picture book, there were also pale yellow and reddish varieties. They all had the same bell-like clusters of flowers and the same fuzzy feel when held.
They had been out of the soil for some time, and when lifted, they hung limp and shriveled like pickled vegetables.
Even so, in Kraft's eyes, this was a particularly charming bunch of pickled vegetables.
"Get me a jar. Not the lead one."
Much like making pickles, they weighed the plants, chopped them into sections and mince, then tossed them into a medicine pot with water and set it to boil. As for how long to cook them, Kraft had no idea, so he left the task to Physician David and let him use his best judgment.
David expertly controlled the heat, simmering the liquid over medium heat until it boiled. He then pulled out some of the charcoal and lowered the heat, keeping the water hot enough to bubble without boiling over.
Bubbles rose steadily from the bottom of the pot, stirring up colorful plant fragments. They swirled in the deepening orange liquid before drifting apart and settling like snowflakes.
Once the solid matter had noticeably faded in color and the liquid began to